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1.1 His films (written and directed by him)
2 Sources1.2 His banned films in Iran 1.3 Films, in which he appeared (playing himself) |
Mohsen Makhmalbaf (محسن مخملباف in Persian), one of the most creative film directors and writers of Iran, whose films during the last ten years were presented in the international film festivals for more than 1000 times, until the year 2002 gained 26 international prizes. He was born in a poor family in southern Tehran in 1957.
He had to work since he was only eight years old and until he was 17 years old, he changed his work 13 times. Before the Islamic revolution in Iran, he was a political activist and because of that he was jailed for more than 4 years, and could get out of the jail only when the revolution happened. After the revolution he abandoned the politics, because he already believed that the chief problem in Iran is the cultural one. So he began writing and making films. Until now he has published 27 books many of which have already been translated in more than ten languages. Some of his films has been shown in more than 40 countries.
During the last five years he has also taught cinema i.a. to his family members, who have already made 6 films. As an example, Marziyeh Meshkini, his wife, could gain thirteen international prizes for her film called The Day I Became a Woman. And his daughter, Samira succeeded to gain the jurry's prize in Cannes film festival in France, 2000. For his productive instructing method, The University of Boston in the USA gave him its Special Prize in the year 2000.
Makhmalbaf also founded a non-governmental organization for enabling Afgan children to go to school in Iran and by means of changes in Iranian laws because of his campaigns, he succeeded to send 10,000-s of immigrated Afghan children, to schools in Iran. Now he with his family lives in Kabul, the capital city of Afghanistan. He is helping to build schools and hospitals there and also helps an afghan director in producing a movie. Also Samira has directed a movie over there called 5:00 pm.
1- Persian book: Didan va Nadidan (To See and not to See), Mohsen Makhmalbaf, Tehran: Ney Publishing, 2002, 408 p.
2- 2- http: //www.makhmalbaf. comMohsen Makhmalbaf
His films (written and directed by him)
His banned films in Iran
Films, in which he appeared (playing himself)
Sources
This article first appeared in the Irana Esperantisto (Iranian Esperantist): Vidi kaj ne Vidi (To See and not to See), by A.R. Mamduhi, No. 3, Year 2, Spring 2003, 32 pp., pp. 3-5. Its sources are: